The Theme of Family in Achebe’s "Things Fall Apart" Essay

The decision that Okonkwo made when he was younger was that he decided he was not going to be a failure like his father. He got on this as soon as he could and he eventually did some great things, as stated in the book “His fame rested on solid personal achievements, as a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat.” This is how Okonkwo first gets his “fame,” he beat the Cat in a wrestling match and everyone began to realize that this man isn’t at all like his father. The people of the clan began ot thing that maybe Okonkwo had a chance of being someone special. He also did some other great things which earned him titles, which were like

7. “Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.”

He was talking about Okonkwo, who had risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of the clan” (26).

For example, men have always been thought of as strong, able, powerful, and intelligent, while throughout history these words were used sparingly in the description of women. Although, one culture where these words were used more than sparingly is the Native American culture. In fact, many of the tribes, hundreds of years ago, were led and counseled by women. “In the Great Plains, Lakota women’s societies counseled tribal government before decisions were made that affected the tribe’s well-being. In the Southwest, Tewa women and men in the San Juan Pueblo were regarded as co-equals. And women in some Pueblo communities owned horses, regarded as some of the tribe’s most important resources.(UNL)” Women no matter what their background have always been the “magic” behind their men; they are the backbones that keep their men from falling

Okonkwo strives to not be compared to his father, which means that he must work hard, provide for his family, be brave, and be as masculine as he can. As a result he obtains a high title in his community in which he earned by fighting and defeating Cat in a wrestling match. Okonkwo also has three wives, and shows off his wealth by building three huts for them to live in along with his own. He would work “During the planting season Okonkwo worked daily on his farms from cock-crow until the chickens went to roost.” (Achebe 13) to make his living. The people of the Idgo culture values work ethics in the field because that is how they profit and become successful. Agriculture is highly valued as they state they depend on the universe for survival. Even when Okonkwo was exiled he still found work to do in the fields and

They are the base or support of the entire family. They are expected to carry the entire family and providing them with all their needs. They were to do “manly” work such as farming to large crops governing their family, making important decisions etc. Men in Igbo culture are to be strong, resilient like steel, un-wavered and decisive. Any form of femininity in men is considered to be a weakness and shameful. Traits such as empathy, sympathy, caring, sadness or emotions in general were traits that would brand you as feminine, which is an insult since in this society it is shameful to have feminine traits or qualities. To be a man of good reputation and pride you had to earn your title yourself through hard work. Riding on your father’s coat tails was not something to be proud of. Being a man and making your way and name was something expected, and if you could not you were considered lazy and feminine and most likely to be called a woman since you would be considered

Family has many personal meanings to every individual, and the way they view the concept of having a family.

Unlike his father Unoka, Okonkwo provided for his family. “He was poor and his wife and children barely had enough to eat”(5). This tells you that Unoka was a terrible father, since he couldn't and didn’t even try to provide for his family. However Okonkwo would always provide for his family, making sure they had enough to eat, unlike his father. Okonkwo had many yams and three wives.

Okonkwo is a well respected clan member with many titles, yet he came from a very poor and full of debt background. He is a warrior with 3 wives and their children. His two favorite children are Nwoye and Ezinma but Nwoye started to drift away and become part of the Christian community after his father let his friend, Ikemefuna, be sentenced to death. Okonkwo's biggest fear is looking weak like his father so he fights throughout the entire book for the clan and highly disagrees with the changes it's made in the end.

Okonkwo is admired and idealized by everyone in the village because of his notable achievements . In the book it states

After his exile he returned to a changed Umuofia. White men, missionaries moved into Umuofia, and Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, decided to join them. Okonkwo got into many confrontations with the church, because he felt as if strangers were ruling him. In the end he decided to commit suicide. This was an extremely weak act on his part. He let all of the true Ibo people down, and merely did what he could to escape all of his troubles.

Okonkwo was a well known man all through Umuofia, and all the other villages around

Many people look at unique social groups in their own way. In the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, the men are seen as superior and powerful than anyone else. In the novel, it states that men have to meet a certain expectation to be seen as worthy and to be respected. On the other hand, women are represented by being less than the men in any situation. They are seen as objects and trophies for the rich powerful men. The word “women” is used as an insult to men that hold no titles. The importance of women being seen less than a man is that many cultures see this as normal and natural, because in this case the Igbo culture wants men to be respected more than the women.

A tragic hero is a character that is both protagonist and antagonist, throughout the action they make. According to Aristotle's definition of tragic hero, he explains a tragic hero as a character that has noble stature and greatness. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, depicts Okonkwo as fierce warrior and a respected leader of the Umuofia clan. Even though Okonkwo does not embody noble stature, since he has greatness, fatal flaw, and he recognize his downfall, he meets Aristotle’s concept to a tragic hero to a certain degree. Okonkwo has greatness and occupy a high status position in the village, yet does not have nobility or virtue in his character.

On one hand, Okonkwo is seen as a powerful, respected man, who is well known throughout his home village of Umuofia and beyond. He is a brave fearless warrior, who as